U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/967,620, filed Sep. 6, 2007, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
When loading a compacted mass of crop material, such as a cotton module, from the ground or another surface onto a ramp or other loading apparatus of a transport vehicle, or when unloading, it is typically desired for the speed of movement of the mass or module along or over the ramp, and the speed of the vehicle over the ground or other surface, to be synchronized. Particularly when unloading, if the speeds are not synchronized, e.g., the vehicle is moving significantly faster over the ground than the mass or module is moving along the ramp, the mass or module can be damaged, and even pulled apart, which is particularly not desired in the case of cotton modules, as it can make subsequent handling more difficult and affect the price paid for the cotton and subsequent ginning.
Various apparatus and systems for automatically synchronizing vehicle ground speed and unloader or crop drivers, such as chains belts or the like, on a ramp for moving a crop mass or module upwardly or downwardly therealong, are well known. Reference as examples, Pereira et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,094, issued Mar. 28, 1978; Reed U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,042, issued Dec. 6, 1983; and Fewin, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,250, issued Apr. 28, 1992.
While any of the above-referenced apparatus and systems may provide satisfactory manners of synchronization for operation under a variety of circumstances, including on uneven terrain and the like, there are instances when unloading wherein it would be desirable to have additional or other capabilities than those disclosed. In particular, sometimes the human operator will be inexperienced and/or inattentive, and/or will drive the vehicle too fast or too slow for unloading the mass or module, so as to affect the shape of the module, e.g., cause it to lean, or damage the module, e.g., fracture or tear, even with a capability for synchronizing the unloader driver speed with the ground speed of the vehicle. In this instance, it has been found desirable to have the capability to inform the operator when a module moving down the ramp is close to contacting the surface onto which it is to be unloaded, and during unloading onto the surface, to warn or notify the operator of excessive ground speed, but without automatically taking steps such as limiting unloading speed, which could damage the module.
Also, sometimes when unloading a cotton module, it is desired to place the module in end-to-end relation or abutment with another module, for reasons including to make loading of the modules onto a transport vehicle in a continuous process easier, and to protect the abutting module ends from exposure to environmental elements, particularly moisture. This will entail one or more reverse or backing movements, or back and forward movements of the vehicle for positioning the end of the unloading ramp adjacent to and aligned with the bottom of the first or stationary module. This also requires a capability for unloading the second module down the ramp into abutment with, or close to, the stationary module, without dragging or pushing a portion of the second module over the ground, or exerting a force against the modules, which could damage one or both of the modules. The vehicle will then be moved forward as the second module is unloaded, which is facilitated by synchronization of the crop driver or drivers with ground speed to complete the unloading process, but not at a speed that is too fast, so as to result in an undesired gap between the modules or damage.
Accordingly, what is sought is an unloading system and method which provides one or more of the capabilities and overcomes one or more of the problems and shortcomings, set forth above.